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Hero
Hero is Maren Morris's debut album that was released on June 3, 2016 through Columbia Nashville. The album debuted and peaked at #5 on the Billboard 200 chart and was nominated for "Best Country Album" at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards. It received mostly positive reviews from music critics and is considered by many publications as one of the best albums of 2016. Background In August of 2015, Morris self-released five songs as a self-titled extended play on Spotify. The songs garnered 2.5 million streams on Spotify in a month, with three songs appearing in Spotify's US and Global "Viral 50" chart. The success of Morris' EP attracted the interest of major labels and she eventually signed to Columbia Nashville in September 2015. The label then re-released the five-song EP on November 6, 2015, with "My Church" as the lead single. "My Church" would become a success on the chart, reaching #5 on the Hot Country Songs chart. The success of "My Church" was followed by the release of the Morris' first major label album release, Hero. The songs from the EP are included in this album release with the exception of "Company You Keep". The additional songs in the album were co-written with Chris DeStefano, Natalie Hemby, Shane McAnally, and others. She has writing credits on all the songs in the album. Tracklisting #Sugar" #Rich #My Church #I Could Use a Love Song #80s Mercedes #Drunk Girls Don't Cry #How It's Done #Just Another Thing #I Wish I Was #Second Wind #Once Release & Promotion The album's lead single, "My Church", was released on January 19, 2016. The second single, "80s Mercedes", was released to country radio on June 27, 2016. The album's third single, "I Could Use a Love Song" was released to country radio on March 27, 2017. The fourth single, "Rich" was released February 12, 2018. Morris embarked on the Hero Tour in 2017, in support of her album. A deluxe edition of the album was released on March 17, 2017, featuring three songs: "Bummin' Cigarettes", "Space" and "Company You Keep." Commerical Performance In the United States, "Hero" debuted at #5 on the Billboard 200 chart with 45,000 equivalent album units; the album sold 37,000 copies in pure sales, with the remainder of its unit total reflecting the album's streaming and track equivalent album units. It also debuted at #1 on the Top Country Albums chart. In June of 2017, "Hero" was certified Gold by the RIAA for 500,000 units consumed in the US; as of April 2019, it has sold 312,500 copies in the United States. Critical Reception "Hero" was well received by most music critics. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic praised Morris' inventiveness and how she "skillfully slides between styles, blurring distinctions between genre and eras". Erlewine felt that the album "belongs to the digital era but it's the songs – smart, sharp, and hooky – that make this a great modern pop album, regardless of genre." Jon Caramanica of The New York Times considered the album an outstanding country music debut, and "perhaps the canniest country record in recent memory." Caramanica thought Morris an "astute synthesizer" of various styles, and found the album to be "both utterly of its moment and also savvy enough to indicate how the future might sound." He also noted the profanity in some of the songs that Morris used "fluently, casually, and effectively, which is to say, you hardly notice at all as she's breaking what may be country's last remaining taboo." Sounds Like Nashville referred to her songwriting talent, powerful vocals and eclectic music style that made the album one of the most unique and enjoyable releases of 2016. Category:Albums